‘Electronic Brain’ Aids Office Operations
New IBM 650 Computer
Is Installed In Data
Processing Dept.
As a major step forward in providing
data for more effective management of
the Company and improving office pro
cedures and paper work handling to
keep pace with other advancements, a
new electronic computer has been instal
led at the Fieldcrest Mills general of
fice on Stadium Drive, Spray.
The IBM 650 Magnetic Drum Data
Processing Machine calculates and
makes decisions at very high speed in
accordance with instructions stored in
its “memory.”
The new 650 unit, popularly called an
“electronic brain,” is among the most
modern and efficient computing mach
ines. Added to the existing processing
equipment which has been kept up to
date through the years, the “650” com
puter provides even greater speed in
processing data.
It is used for payrolls, sales account
ing, analysis of orders and shipments,
production and inventory reports, per
sonnel data and other information need
ed to operate the Company. Additional
applications will be placed on the sys
tem as programs are developed.
1800 Individual Instructions
Before its installation, personnel of
the Data Processing Department spent
several months preparing programs for
the 650 Computer. These consisted of
Sets of instructions which “tell” the
machine how to handle a particular job.
One program may contain as many as
1800 individual instructions.
For ease of installation and mainten
ance the system is housed in three units:
(1) the Read-Punch unit, (2) the Power
Unit, and (3) the Console Unit. The
Read-Punch unit accepts problems and
delivers answers in the form of punch
ed cards. Reports are printed by feed
ing the output cards to an accounting
machine which writes up to 9,000 lines
Per hour.
The Power Unit supplies power to the
pther units and translates punched cards
into computer language.
The heart of the 650 computer is the
Console Unit with the Control panel and
TELEPHONE CHANGE
In your Fieldcrest telephone directory,
in the alphabetical listing on page 8,
Please change as follows:
From To
Walter Schacht 7245 7253
DIAMOND RING LOST
Diamond ring, lost between Employees
Store and Central Warehouse. Finder
Please notify Ethel Edwards, Bedspread
Cutting and Sewing Department, or call
^Ain 3-6851 after 4:00 p.m.
LAWN MOWER FOR SALE
All metal hand lawn mower. For in
formation call MA 3-2259.
display lights. Inside this unit is the
magnetic drum, about 4 inches in dia
meter and 16 inches long, which stores
up to 20,000 digits of information on its
surface.
The drum rotates at 12,500 revo
lutions per minute, enabling access to
any stored data in 2.4 milliseconds. The
calculating circuit can perform as many
as 78,000, additions and subtractions in
a minute, and when so instructed, it
will make logical decisions at the rate
of 2,300 each second or 138,000 per min
ute.
The computer system weighs over 3
tons and contains 5,000 vacuum tubes,
2,000 relays, and several miles of wire.
This equipment puts out enough heat
for a five room house.
Only a little more than half of the
650’s capacity will be needed for work
now performed in the Data Processing
Department. Efficient use of the remain
ing capacity will require many hours
of study and numerous decisions as to
the types of information needed to im
prove the Company’s operations and the
most economical means of feeding data
into the “650” to produce that informa
tion.
In the words of comptroller E. L.
Brown, “This opportunity is the Comp
troller’s Department’s greatest chal
lenge for 1958 and the future.”
C. F. Kelly, head of Data Processing:, puts “650” through its paces for E. L. Brown,
comptroller, R. R. Roberts, treasurer; Dennis Cooke, IBM field representative; and
R. H. Hair, manager, office methods and procedures.
Close-up view of the console is shown as Russell Cherry, programmer in the Data
Processing Department, starts test operations on the new computer.
^lONDAY, MARCH 17, 1958
7